


city that never sleeps

by herohelio



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, ポケモンマスターズ | Pokemon Masters
Genre: Canon Compliant, F/M, Fluff, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-24
Updated: 2021-01-24
Packaged: 2021-03-16 10:34:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,463
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28955043
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/herohelio/pseuds/herohelio
Summary: “Let’s go to the fashion district!” Her skirt swishes back and forth as Serena twirls towards the street, the lights now on as the sunset fades away. “The shops will all be closed if we don’t hurry!”“I just ate, you know,” Calem complains with no real malice.‘They can wait,’he doesn’t say but he’s sure she somehow knows all the same.‘We’ve got time.’“Hang on.”(Or: After the dessert party.)
Relationships: Calme | Calem/Serena
Comments: 6
Kudos: 26





	city that never sleeps

**Author's Note:**

> takes place right after serena's dessert party event, but you don't have to have played it to read (event happened in summer,,,had this sitting in drafts for like months lmao)

The plaza is normally crowded, and Calem isn’t too surprised when he arrives there with Espurr at his side, the sun beginning to set over the horizon. It’s not anything he’s new to, memories of Kalos and strolling through the city late at night coming to mind, a small pang in his heart at his home. Pasio is nice, a great place and opportunity for him to train and get stronger than ever before, but there are some things that just can’t compare.

Like now. The sweet scent of pastries wafts through the air and his Espurr is already on the hunt, slowly waddling across the square. Calem smiles and muffles a laugh as he follows him, excusing himself as strangers stare. When Espurr’s hungry, everything flies over his head. It’s partly Calem’s fault—training wasn’t supposed to take this long, but Acerola fussed over them until he promised her that they weren’t going to run off and take on another Team Break member (it was one time, one time, and he’d do it again in a heartbeat). 

“Espurr!” Espurr chirps, coming to a stop in the middle of the plaza. He stares at a crowd of people ahead. Calem follows his gaze and pats him on the head.

“Great job.” Espurr puffs out its chest in pride and Calem beams, beckoning for it to follow as he walks toward the crowd. People and their Pokemon alike chew on sweets with big smiles on all their faces and there’s only one person he knows with a talent like that.

Serena sits at a table alone, bright smile on her face as she brushes stray crumbs out of Fennekin’s fur. She hums a melody Calem vaguely remembers being played from one of the street performers in Lumiose, and sets Fennekin back on the ground before going back to stacking empty plates on top of each other. She hasn’t seen him yet. Good. The sight is enough to make Calem smile even though she hasn’t done anything other than be herself.

“Room for one more?” He says.

Serena jumps, and the speed her eyes widen nearly makes him burst out laughing. She turns around, sees him, and gasps. “Calem!” The chair and plates are forgotten as she tackles her arms around his neck in a hug. “Hey!”

Calem chuckles, half-smothered by her shoulder. Her hair smells like vanilla and smoke. “Miss me?”

“More like what’d you miss,” she retorts, leaning back to meet his gaze. “We had so much fun today!”

“Really?” The words take a moment to process. “We?” He asks. 

“Mhm!” Out of the corner of his eye, Calem can see more trainers and their Pokemon eating cake. A few he doesn’t recognize but the twins and their bright Pikachus are unmistakable. Huh. Serena nudges him, bringing his gaze back to her. “Eat up first!” She shoves a slice of cake into his hands. “No good telling you everything on an empty stomach!”

“Alright, alright. I’ve gotta feed Espurr first though—“

“No need.” She waves a hand dismissively and pushes another plate towards his Pokemon. “Why hello there,” she coos. “How have you—hey! Fennekin, don’t eat his food!”

Fennekin pouts but backs off. Calem laughs. “Always can count on you to keep them in line.”

She beams. “Of course! Eat your cake too, Calem.”

Always calling the shots. She sits down and Calem follows suit across from her. They’ve been here before, late afternoons at cafes in Kalos, only the roles would be reversed. Calem’s stomach does a funny little flip at that, but it’s at the same time he shoves a forkful of cake into his mouth so he blames it on the latter. It must be fresh out of the oven because it practically melts in his mouth. Vanilla, as he expected, but not too sweet, just as he likes it. 

“So?” Serena’s staring at him. The confidence from earlier has melted as she nervously twirls a strand of her hair, golden against the sunset. “How is it?”

“Good,” he says. “It’s good.” 

She’s still staring at him. “I mean it!” Calem says with more enthusiasm, eating another for emphasis. “It’s really good! You’ve outdone yourself this time, Serena.”

Maybe it’s the lighting, but her face turns pink. Giving a small laugh, she tosses her hair back and Calem manages to catch the big smile on her face. “Thank you! They have to be, to make everyone happy.”

“Are you happy?”

“Are  _ you _ ?” She shoots back with a keen gaze. Like they’re back on the battlefield, analyzing him. 

The spirit of rivalry never goes away. Calem shrugs. “It’s a bit rude to ask the person who’s eating the questions, you know.” He eats another forkful of cake and swallows. “I’m supposed to be the one doing that. How was your day?”

Serena laughs. “Since when have you become such a gentleman?” She teases, swatting at his arm playfully. 

“H-hey! I was always one!”

“Of course.” Classic eye roll. “Your training with Acerola is paying off.”

“I think she’s adopted me,” Calen admits. “If I ever disappear again, assume she and everyone’s taken me to Alola.”

Serena perks up at the mention of the tropical region. “Alola?” Her eyes sparkle. “How—oh, right! She’s part of the Elite Four there, right?”

“Yeah, captain of a trial, or something.” Language translations from Acerola’s fast-paced Unovan,  _ then  _ Kalosçais are starting to give Calem a headache. The league wasn’t kidding when they said trainers from all over the world would be here, and speaking his mother tongue after days puts his mind at ease. But that’s how everything is with Serena.

She hums and Calem snaps his gaze back to her. “We should go there once the PML ends,” she says, oblivious. 

“Professor Sycamore said that Dexio and Sina were already there though.”

“Not for research—for ourselves! Besides, the professor said he’d be here soon and it’s been months!”

“True,” Calem agrees, trying to quell his heart at the fact she wanted them to travel together. 

“The battle system there is  _ so _ different,” she rambles on, glowing brighter and brighter with each passing second. “There’s no gyms, island challenges instead and—oh! Their fashion—actually, that reminds me!” She slams her palms on the table and stands. “Let’s head to the fashion district!”

Calem blinks. Espurr and Fennekin look up from their dessert as well. “Huh?”

“Fashion district,” Serena repeats, enunciating each syllable. Her skirt swishes back and forth as she twirls towards the street, the lights now on as the sunset fades away. “I need a new sweater.”

“What--oh, yeah, for the event?” He asks, scrambling to catch up to her. None of the other trainers mind them. Serena Yvonne has a talent of making even the most sleepless of cities rest, floating past them with warmth and care that can make anyone want to never wake up. Battlefields are a different yet similar story, burning everyone in sight with a spark in her eyes that Calem used to fear would die out, but now only burns brighter. Why everyone seems to think  _ he’s _ the lead in their relationship (well, not like they’re in one, but--) is a mystery when  _ she’s _ right there, so dead-set on going her own way. 

“That too, but I stained my old one.” She turns to him and pauses, looking at his clothes up and down. “We could get you a new outfit too! What do you want? A hat? A jacket?”

_ You, it’s always been you.  _ “Nothing, really,” Calem says with a laugh. 

“Calem!”

“Ok, ok, if you insist.” He stops as she turns to stare at him, eyes wide awake. “I want you,” he says, “to get stronger.”

She pouts, but smiles nonetheless. “You’re so cheesy.”

“Cheesy but true.”

“True but all the shops are going to be closed if you don’t hurry!”   


Beckoning for their Pokemon to follow, Serena adjusts her bag for Fennekin to fit in and gestures for him to follow without another word. All the street lights are on now, night sky thrown over the island like a blanket as trainers file away to turn in after a long day. The shops will probably close soon--that she’s right about--but Calem doesn’t follow right away and maybe it’s because he’s tired, actions more sluggish and drowsy as he grabs her hand and she freezes.

“I just ate, you know,” he complains with no real malice.  _ ‘They can wait,’ _ he doesn’t say but he’s sure she somehow knows all the same.  _ ‘We’ve got time.’  _ “Hang on.” 

“Alright.” Swinging their joined hands, Serena waits a moment before tugging him along the sidewalk. After all, what is there to do with a hypnotic girl and a city that never sleeps? “Come on!”


End file.
